Homes are becoming more connected with the proliferation of computing devices such as desktops, tablets, entertainment systems, and portable communication devices. As these computing devices evolve, many different ways have been introduced that allow users to interact with computing devices, such as through mechanical devices (e.g., keyboards, mice, etc.), touch screens, motion, and gesture. Another way to interact with computing devices is through speech.
To implement speech interaction, a device is commonly equipped with a microphone to receive voice input from a user and a speech recognition component to recognize and understand the voice input. The device also commonly includes a speaker to emit audible responses to the user. With speech interaction, the device may be operated essentially “hands free”.
For some operations, however, voice interaction may not be intuitive or easily implemented. Additionally, in some contexts, audio exchanges may not be appropriate for the desired user experience. For instance, suppose the user is conducting a transaction or engaging in an exchange that involves sharing private information, such as a personal identification number (PIN), social security number (SSN), or the like. In these cases, a pure audio exchange may not be suitable, particularly if the user does not wish to verbally share the private information while other people are in the same vicinity.
Accordingly, there is a continuing need for improved designs of voice enabled devices that are intuitive and easy to operate and yet provide different forms of exchanges to accommodate and enhance various user experiences.